Invictus
by Kronos793
Summary: Post HBP: The recent disappearance of Harry Potter caused a panic in the Wizarding World and the Dark Lord has increased his attacks. Can the sudden return of Harry Potter bring the world back from the brink of Darkness?


**A/N:** I own nothing except the plot and original characters/items/locations.

**Summary****–** Post HBP/AU: The war with the Dark Lord continues to rage with intense ferocity. The recent disappearance of Harry Potter caused a panic in the Wizarding World and the Dark Lord has increased his attacks to an almost in sufferable rate. When Harry Potter returns with a new demeanor and an ancient artifact hope is reborn, but can the world truly be pulled back from the brink of darkness?

**Invictus**

"Here it is Mr. Potter, the Ring of Gir'doth, just as you requested," the goblin made a show of bowing slightly and lifting his arms above his head, presenting the ring as if it were a priceless treasure. The odd fact was, it is priceless and it is a treasure, a one of a kind relic. The ring itself was a simple Vanguard style ring, made of White gold mixed with Platinum for additional strength as well as the metal's abilities of holding considerable amounts of magic. In the center of the ring sat a large, center cut Turquoise Gem. Not a jewel, not a rock, but a Gem. Gems are known throughout the Wizarding world as the most powerful forms of precious jewels such as Rubies and Sapphires. Gems are so renowned due partly to their power, but mostly due to their rarity. Currently, only 5 "Gems of Power" as they are called exist, yet none had been found, until now. The Turquoise Gem set in the ring was thought to be a myth, as was the ring itself. In actuality, it was not a myth or a legend, it was merely hidden by those in the Goblin Nation until the time was right, until it became time to use the Ring's power and fulfill its purpose. So it was that the most legendary and powerful ancient artifact in the entire Wizarding World rested merely a foot away from being claimed once more.

Harry reached out calmly and picked the ring up with his left index finger and thumb. He inhaled sharply as he felt the power of the ring flow through him, calling to him, demanding to be placed on his right ring finger, its "rightful place." The Gem began to glow softly with power and its pull on Harry's will continued to steadily increase. Quickly reinforcing his Occlumency shields, Harry barely managed to regain control of his senses and stop himself from putting the ring on his finger, for this was not the place for the summoning to occur. For that, he needed to travel to the one place almost as old as the ring itself, that ancient, powerful and awe-inspiring school for the young wizards and witches of tomorrow, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Closing his fingers around the ring, Harry bowed deeply to the Goblin, his face set in stone, showing neither fear nor arrogance, merely showing respect.

"Thank you Griphook. I am pleased to have known you personally and will miss your wise council my friend."

Griphook returned Harry's bow, "Are you sure you want to do this Harry? Is there no other way?"

Harry chuckled to himself, "Perhaps there is, but we both know this is what has been planned for me since before I was born. I admit this is occurring much earlier than I had hoped, but nothing can be done to change that now. I feel the call, and I must answer. The fate of this realm depends on it."

Griphooks face drooped slightly and his mouth closed completely, covering his razor sharp teeth in a Goblin grimace, "I am sorry it came to this Harry."

"So am I my friend, so am I," with that Harry bowed again and turned swiftly to leave the room.

Griphook hung his head slightly and let out a sigh, "If only they had seen what they rejected, perhaps you would not have to do this my young friend. What's done is done, and I can only hope you find the solace you so deserve."

Harry stepped outside the entrance of Gringotts and closed his emerald eyes, focusing on an image of a majestic castle he had come to know as home. His body disappeared with a pop heading off to his calling, his responsibility, his fate…

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Hogwarts was as awe inspiring as ever. Its outer walls held a regal look and seemed to draw visitors in. It represented serenity and peace, a true beckon of the light. It was odd when said serenity was shattered as a white dome emerged, surrounding the castle protectively. The windows of the towers seemed to melt and meld into the stone, sealing off any means of entry save the main doors. The doors immediately flung open as several professors and some of the older students rushed out, wands raised and ready to meet what or whoever dared to threaten the mighty school of magic. Instead of an army of dark clad wizards, the group was met with a lone figure. This man stood roughly 6 feet tall, with his muscular build showing even through his short sleeved shirt and black slacks. His once messy hair was now elongated and tied pack in a short ponytail, covered in famous lightning bolt scar. His emerald eyes glowed brightly with power as his arms were crossed across his chest while his face was once again set in stone, a firm look of neutrality and indifference set across his features. The group was stunned into silence, could this be the man that had been missing for roughly several months? He certainly did not look the same but those eyes gave him away almost immediately. A bushy haired brunette was the first to break out of her stupor, lowering her wand and racing forward towards the figure. Once she reached him she leapt into his arms and held onto him tightly crying softly.

"HARRY! Oh gods I missed you! You disappeared without a word and had us worried you were kidnapped or dead!"

Harry responded by crossing his arms across her back and holding her to him, letting her cry her tears of joy at his return. The armor of his mask of indifference cracked as he smiled slightly for the girl in his arms, his best friend. "I'm sorry I worried you 'Mione, but I had things to do and I needed to leave to do them."

Harry released her and set her back in the ground gently. Her curiosity peaked she asked, "What things? Why did you need to go alone? Why didn't you let us help? Why didn't you even tell us you were leaving? What made you disappear so suddenly?" Her attention was then drawn to the ring on his right ring finger, "What is that and where did you get it?"

Harry chuckled softly, "Slow down 'Mione and breathe. Unfortunately, I can't answer those questions right now, but I promise you will get your answers." She nodded in acceptance, although a bit reluctantly. By then, the entire group had arrived and stood in awe of the boy they had once known as Harry Potter. Harry turned his gaze to the group currently surrounding him. Ron looked both elated and relieved to see him, as did Ginny and Neville. Professors Dumbledore, Flitwick, Sprout and even McGonagall looked pleased to see him as well while Snape held his usual scowl. Next were Remus and Kingsley. Both looked like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders as they gazed at him. Remus rushed forward and enveloped him in a tight hug. Moody watched from the sidelines, his magical eye whirling and examining every part of Harry thoroughly. He looked as if he was going to demand that Harry prove his identity when his gaze fell upon the ring Harry wore. His real eye opened in shock and recognition while the magical one locked onto the ring, as if trying to verify its authenticity. Just as he was about to open his mouth and ask about it, he caught Harry's faint hand signal, one that made what he wanted perfectly clear. It told him in no uncertain terms to '_shut up and keep it to __yourself__'_ Whether it was out of respect for Harry's wishes or fear for his possession of the ring meant Moody nodded.

While Remus rested a comfortable arm around Harry's shoulders the rest of the group came forward to welcome Harry and ask him their own questions. Harry smiled when asked and said he may or may not tell them later on. As the greetings continued a lone figure from the back of the group stepped forward. Her hair was its usual shade of bubblegum pink and he robes were opened to reveal her trade mark Weird Sisters T-Shirt and for fitting jeans. She stepped forwards somewhat fearful and drew Harry into a hug. His body language immediately shifted, reflecting his discomfort as he patted her on the pack lightly in a friendly gesture. No one in the group missed this and it had them all confused. Since before Harry had disappeared, he and Tonks were extremely close as both of them spent most of their time together, joking and laughing like old friends would. The entire Order has suspected something was going on with the two, but never saw them acting in anyway other than a close platonic friendship. It puzzled them as to what could cause this sudden shift in their relationship. From the outside, it looked as if Tonks was almost scared of approaching Harry and Harry looked as if he would rather be anywhere else than where he was now.

Tonks released Harry and smiled lightly at him, though the smile he returned seemed to be a bit forced. "How've you been then," she inquired quietly, not wanting to draw the attention of the conversing Order.

Harry shrugged, "Fine."

Tonks nodded slightly and began to play with the hem of her shirt as she spoke softly, "Harry…I'm so-"

With a raised voice as to address the entire group Harry asked, "Shall we head inside then? I don't particularly fancy sitting out here all day."

The group mumbled their agreement and headed towards the castle, Harry being squeezed by Ron and Hermione as they chattered with him excitedly. Tonks fell to the back of the group with her head drooped slightly as Remus walked beside her. He placed a comforting arm around her shoulder as she turned into him, a few tears escaping her eyes. Remus rubbed her shoulder gently and soothingly, willing her to let it out as best she could.

"What do I do Remus? I screwed up so bad and he's changed so much. Will he forgive me? Will he give me a second chance? Hell, will he even acknowledge me?" She asked brokenly.

"I honestly don't know Dora. He changed so much. I can see determination in his eyes though. He didn't return because he felt like it, he returned for a reason. One he's not telling us, which also means it's crazy, dangerous or completely life changing. You've just got to give him time Dora, you hurt him pretty bad," he responded.

"I know. It's just…can't we go back to the way it used to be? I miss him so much, and if you're right about why he's back, then is he even going to stay once he's finished what he has to do? I don't think I could bare him disappearing before I told him how I really feel, before I fixed things."

"Just give it time Dora. He'll tell us why he's here and then we'll see where it goes from there. Sound good?"

Tonks just nodded as they continued walking back towards the Headmaster's office for their meeting…

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All of Hogwarts' teaching staff, several students and Order members were seated comfortably in the Headmaster's office while Harry sat directly in front of Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione at his side. It was clear to everyone that Dumbledore was merely bursting to ask the first question, so Harry inclined his head slightly to begin the questioning.

"Harry, where have you been all this time," Dumbledore asked.

"Training and preparing for what's to come," was Harry's short answer.

Dumbledore frowned slightly at the vagueness of that answer but pushed on anyway, "Can you be more specific Harry?"

"I am afraid I cannot be Headmaster."

"Very well, why have you returned to us?"

"I returned because it was time to do what I was meant to do. My training is complete and I am prepared for what lies ahead."

"You mean vanquish He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"That and a few other things," was Harry's vague reply.

"May I inquire as to what else you need to do?" Dumbledore prodded.

"Make things right once and for all," was all Harry said. Throughout the entire session his face remained set in stone once more, betraying no emotion, merely relaying his determination to accomplish his goal.

Dumbledore nodded knowing he wasn't going to get a better answer than that. This was certainly not the young Gryffindor he had watched over for 6 and ½ years, this was a man who was trained to complete his goal and would let nothing stand in his way. Observing the man before him, Dumbledore took notice of the majestic ring resting on his ring finger. It seemed somewhat familiar, yet he could not place it. Curiosity finally got the better of him and he tentatively asked,

"Harry, may I ask where you got such an elegant ring? It seems somewhat familiar to me yet I cannot place it."

Harry shifted in his seat slightly, a move only Tonks seemed to catch, "How I got it will be made perfectly clear on the strike of a new day."

"You mean at midnight?" Hermione queried.

Harry nodded and focused his gaze on the waning moon hanging brightly in the night sky. It was almost time to proceed; he had but moments to prepare. He rose from his chair and drew himself to his full height, his chiseled body squaring off as he addressed those in the room,

"Come, we must go." He began to lead the confused group out of the Headmaster's office and through the castle until they arrived in the exact spot where Harry arrived. He stepped a few meters ahead of the group, facing the glowing moon and breathed deeply.

"No matter what, do not approach me until I tell you to," he commanded. This ring on his finger began to pulse and glow luminously, covering the ground and the group behind Harry in a deep blue-white aura. Harry raised his hand out in front of him, palm facing the open sky and moon while the ring continued to pulse. Power radiated off of Harry and the ring, sending chills down the group's spines as they watched. Slowly, a purple-white orb began to form in the palm of Harry's hand, steadily growing in size as the seconds passed. Soon it grew to be the size of his head, crackling with energy and encompassing Harry in its luminosity. Unknown to the group, Harry closed his eyes and began to speak softly,

**"The balance is unsettled,  
Magic and life have made their plea.  
And so I summon you,  
To fulfill the Oaths you have made.  
I release the Call and open the door,  
Demanding that order be restored to this world once more."**

As soon as he finished, the orb of purple energy flew out of his hand towards the sky above. Simultaneously, the ring on his right hand extended a tendril of red lightning towards Harry. It snaked its way towards his chest while the orb continued to fly. Suddenly, the orb stopped in its speeding path as the tendril collided with Harry's chest, directly over his heart. The tendril seemed grow slightly at the contact with Harry while a deep green lightning bolt of raw magic shot out of the ring towards the orb. Once the bolt struck the orb began to grow in size, doubling its dimensions in seconds. The tendril attached to Harry's chest tripled in size without warning and small pulse of energy seemed to pass from Harry back into the ring. Harry screamed out in pain and fell to one knee, still keeping his hand stretched towards the growing sphere of magic and power hanging in the night sky. The sphere crackled loudly with power and small bursts of power leapt off its fringes, striking the ground randomly. Tonks, Hermione and Remus both moved to leap forward and protect Harry, but Dumbledore, Kingsley and Moody moved quickly to stop them. The group watched in awe, confusion and fear as Harry continued to grunt and howl in pain as the sphere grew and the tendril attached to Harry continued to pulse and pull. When the sphere grew to the several times its original size, the bolt of power and tendril of magic quickly withdrew back into the ring resting on Harry's finger. Harry was breathing heavily, his arm dropping to the ground below his and he bowed over, struggling to regain his breath. Still fearful for his health, the group looked on apprehensively, wondering what was going on.

Their attention was diverted when the sphere began to shimmer and darken slightly. It began to become partially transparent and they could make out a figure on the other side. The shadow on the figure began to grow larger, as if it was approaching the orb. When the figure became nearly as large as the sphere it shoved its hand forward, its body soon follow as the being emerged slowly, hovering in the air as it seemed to assess its surroundings. The being was at least 6' 3" with a well defined and tone athletic build. He radiated power and authority and his musculature was well defined. Just like his body, his face has a sculpted look to it, as if he was carved from marble. His chin and jaw were firmly set, determination showing through. A gold handle was showing across his back, lined with emerald and sapphire gems of moderate size. His sculpted chest and abs remained visible for all to see, a thick leather strap/buckle hanging across it, supporting the weapon on his back and his hands hanging securely at his sides. He bore a deep black tattoo of what appeared to be a Scorpion on his right hand, the bulk resting on the space between his thumb and index finger. Another, much larger tattoo of a serpent like dragon circling around a pair of intertwined Komodo Dragons rested on his chest just above his heart. Flames from the mouth of the Dragon circled around the Komodos who seemed to be gripping each other's tail as they circled, with the dragon's claws gripping the Komodo's bodies where contact was made. His crystal clear ice blue eyes scanned the man on one knee before him and the group behind him.

The man slowly descended until his feet touched the ground lightly. He stilled regarded the group behind Harry warily and apprehensively, but walked towards a sill wheezing Harry. Noticing his approach, Harry attempted to stand, but his strength had still not returned. The group reached for their wands instinctively as the man drew near, but still made no move as per Harry's instructions. When the man reached Harry, he lifted him by his arm and helped his stand straight, the palm of his left hand resting lightly on Harry's chest as it glowed with a soft yellow tint. Several seconds later Harry felt as if his strength has been doubled, making him feel light as rain. Once Harry could stand the man stepped back and gazed at Harry intently. In response, Harry bowed his head deeply,

"Osiris, it is an honor to be in your presence," he spoke clearly and confidently.

The man called Osiris regarded Harry for a moment, as if sizing him up and then returned the young man's respectful bow, "It is my honor to serve young one. I will now assess the situation you are faced with," he replied.

Harry merely nodded and lifted his eyes to stare intently in Osiris' intimidating yellow irises of power. The pair held their stares for a minute until Osiris broke the connection and breathed deeply, letting out a sigh,

"You should have summoned me sooner Harry. This will require…_additional_ forces to rectify," he spoke firmly, but not in a reprimanding tone.

Harry's head drooped slightly at the firm tone, "I am sorry Osiris, but I needed to prepare first. I could not call you until I was ready to face my path."

Osiris nodded, "Do not worry Harry, I understand your reasoning." He then turned his attention the portal behind and touched the tattoo in his chest with the Scorpion on his hand. The portal began to pulse once more as four new shadows began to approach slowly, each varying in size, yet their power was unmistakable. Whoever these beings were, they wielded considerable amounts of energy, if less than the man called Osiris. The group behind Harry tensed when they saw the shadows approaching, wands lying at their sides forgotten in their shock and awe. If these new shadows were half as powerful as they felt, then Merlin help whoever stood in their way…

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**A/N:** Sorry for the slight cliffie but I couldn't resist. Thanks for reading and please let me know what you thought about the story so far. I know a lot isn't explained, but no fear, it will be. The cause for the current situation between Harry and Tonks as well as Harry's "training" will be covered mostly in brief flashbacks as I don't want to waste too much time on the past. Next Chapter, The rest of Osiris' 'reinforcements' emerge and the gravity of Harry's choices becomes unveiled.


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